In an interview with Kajal Mehra from TimesTech, Rajesh Chhabra, India Head of Acronis, shares insights into the company’s remarkable 90% YoY growth, driven by India’s digital boom and rising cyber threats. Highlighting the critical role of AI, integrated cyber protection, and partner enablement, he discusses how Acronis is empowering SMBs and large enterprises alike to stay resilient amid evolving threats and regulatory demands in India’s rapidly growing cybersecurity market.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: Acronis has achieved an impressive 90% YoY revenue growth in India. What key factors have contributed to this rapid expansion, and how do you see the Indian market evolving for cybersecurity solutions?
Rajesh: India’s rapid digitalization, the increasing frequency of cyberattacks, rising awareness about cybersecurity, and strong government initiatives to bolster cyber resilience have all contributed to our growth. As one of the most targeted countries for cyber threats, Indian organizations are recognizing the urgent need for robust cybersecurity solutions.
Additionally, businesses are shifting from traditional security measures to integrated cyber protection solutions that combine data protection, endpoint security, and AI-powered threat detection. This shift aligns with Acronis’ approach—offering a single platform that integrates cybersecurity and backup to provide complete protection.
Looking ahead, we expect continued demand for solutions that unify cybersecurity, data protection, and compliance, especially as cloud adoption accelerates and regulatory requirements become stricter.
TimesTech: With cloud-related threats being the top cybersecurity concern for 52% of Indian organizations, how does Acronis address these risks, and what strategies do you recommend for businesses to strengthen their cloud security?
Rajesh: Acronis is arguably the only solutions which provides protection against each vector of NIST framework 2.0 from Governance to Recover. Our platform is natively integrated, meaning each component of our solution works seamlessly with the others. This approach eliminates security gaps that arise from using multiple, disconnected point solutions.
India is one of the most targeted countries for cyberattacks, largely because many organizations still lack a comprehensive cybersecurity posture. While investing in high-end security solutions is important, the first line of defense should always be employee education. Cyber threats, particularly malware and phishing scams, often originate from emails—making it essential for employees to verify URLs before clicking and recognize phishing attempts.
That said, no security solution can claim to be 100% ransomware-proof. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be having this discussion, and India wouldn’t have allocated ₹1,550 crore to cybersecurity initiatives. Organizations must adopt a defense-in-depth approach by implementing multiple layers of protection.
Robust network security, achieved through strategically deployed firewalls, acts as a first line of defense against malicious traffic. Complementing this, endpoint protection via Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) provides real-time threat detection and rapid response capabilities, minimizing the impact of potential breaches. Proactive vulnerability management, involving regular patching of systems, eliminates critical security gaps that attackers could exploit. Furthermore, stringent access controls, incorporating Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), ensure that only authorized users gain access to sensitive data and systems, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access and lateral movement within the network.
Even with these measures in place, breaches can still occur. Therefore, organizations must strengthen their incident response capabilities to mitigate damage effectively and ensure robust backup and disaster recovery solutions for rapid data restoration.
TimesTech: The Indian cybersecurity market is projected to grow significantly, reaching USD 12.90 billion by 2030. How is Acronis positioning itself to capture this growth, and what role does AI-driven cybersecurity play in your strategy?
Rajesh: Acronis is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth by strengthening our channel ecosystem through a combination of technology innovation, partner enablement, and market development funds (MDF). We believe that empowering our partners with the right tools, training, and support is key to expanding our reach and delivering comprehensive cyber protection to businesses across India.
As cyber threats evolve, AI-driven cybersecurity will play a crucial role in mitigating advanced attacks. Traditional security measures are no longer sufficient, which is why Acronis integrates AI and machine learning into our platform to detect, analyze, and respond to threats in real-time. Our AI-powered threat detection helps identify patterns, prevent zero-day attacks, and automate responses—enhancing both efficiency and protection for businesses of all sizes.
By combining AI-driven protection, automation, and a strong partner network, Acronis is committed to helping organizations in India navigate the ever-growing cybersecurity challenges while staying ahead of emerging threats.
TimesTech: There is a growing cybersecurity skills gap in India. How can AI, automation, and next-gen technologies help bridge this talent shortage, and what initiatives is Acronis undertaking to support skill development?
Rajesh: The cybersecurity skills gap is a critical challenge in India, and addressing it requires a combination of AI-driven security, automation, and workforce development initiatives.
AI and machine learning (ML) are transforming cybersecurity by enhancing threat detection and response. AI-driven systems can analyze vast amounts of data in real time, identifying anomalies and detecting potential threats faster and more accurately than human analysts alone. This reduces the burden on security teams and ensures a proactive defense against evolving cyber threats.
Additionally, automation plays a crucial role in bridging the skills gap by handling routine security tasks such as threat hunting, vulnerability management, and incident response. By automating these processes, organizations can optimize their security operations while allowing cybersecurity professionals to focus on more complex, high-priority issues.
At Acronis, we are committed to closing the skills gap through targeted initiatives, including:
- Training programs through the Acronis Academy and Acronis MSP Academy, helps upskill our partners, IT professionals and security teams on modern cyber protection strategies.
- AI-powered security solutions that simplify cybersecurity management, making it more accessible to businesses with limited in-house expertise.
- Collaborations with academic institutions and industry bodies, including R&D projects, to promote cybersecurity education and workforce readiness.
By combining AI-driven security, automation, and skill development programs, Acronis is helping organizations in India enhance their cyber resilience and address the growing cybersecurity talent shortage.
TimesTech: Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly targeted by cyber threats, particularly supply chain attacks. What challenges do SMBs face in cybersecurity, and how can integrated cyber protection solutions help mitigate these risks?
Rajesh: SMBs are becoming a prime target for cybercriminals, especially through supply chain attacks, due to their often-limited security resources and reliance on multiple IT environments. As they serve multiple customers in remote locations, their IT landscapes become increasingly complex. Many SMBs operate across on-premises and cloud-based workloads, often utilizing a mix of private and public cloud solutions. This expanding infrastructure extends their attack surface beyond traditional endpoints, exposing credentials, email, cloud applications, and third-party integrations to potential cyber threats, making them even more vulnerable to sophisticated attacks.
Another significant challenge is the presence of security infrastructure gaps. Many SMBs deploy multiple, disconnected security tools for different customers, leading to inefficiencies and gaps in coverage. A siloed security infrastructure makes it difficult to maintain a unified view of threats, and an overwhelming number of security alerts can burden IT teams, particularly when there is a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals to manage them effectively.
Additionally, emerging cyber threats pose an even greater risk. Cybercriminals are using Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) to target SMBs over extended periods, making attacks more difficult to detect and mitigate. AI-powered attack tools now allow hackers to discover and exploit zero-day vulnerabilities with greater precision. Furthermore, the rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) platforms has made it easier than ever for cybercriminals to launch sophisticated ransomware attacks, putting SMBs at even greater risk.
To combat these challenges, SMBs need a comprehensive, integrated cyber protection approach. Acronis provides all-in-one cyber protection that combines backup, disaster recovery, AI-driven cybersecurity, and endpoint management—eliminating the need for multiple standalone solutions. Our native integration ensures real-time threat detection, automated response, and rapid recovery, reducing complexity while enhancing security.
By adopting integrated cyber protection, SMBs can improve their resilience against supply chain attacks, streamline security operations, and protect their data more effectively, all while reducing costs and management overhead.
TimesTech: As digital transformation accelerates in critical sectors like banking and government, real-time threat analysis is becoming crucial. How is Acronis contributing to securing India’s digital economy, and what trends do you foresee in cybersecurity for these industries?
Rajesh: As India’s digital economy continues to grow, safeguarding critical sectors like banking and government has become more vital than ever. At Acronis, we are committed to providing robust cybersecurity solutions that address emerging threats and ensure data protection across industries.
Acronis implements strong encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect sensitive financial data, enabling organizations to defend against cyber risks. Risk management of Acronis solutions provide real-time threat detection and prevention, helping businesses proactively combat fraud and cyber-attacks. Additionally, we ensure compliance with industry regulations such as PCI DSS and GDPR, allowing organizations to meet security requirements with ease.
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud provides advanced backup, disaster recovery, and anti-ransomware technology, ensuring businesses can quickly restore data and block cyber threats. Additionally, robust data encryption, access controls, and automated compliance reporting strengthen security for sensitive information while maintaining regulatory adherence.
In terms of cybersecurity trends, we foresee a continued rise in ransomware attacks, AI-driven threats, and targeted cyber incidents against financial institutions and government agencies. As remote monitoring and management tools become increasingly adopted, cybercriminals are exploiting vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure. To counter these threats, organizations must prioritize endpoint security, regular security updates, and proactive threat mitigation strategies.
By delivering tailored cybersecurity solutions, Acronis is playing a critical role in fortifying India’s digital transformation, enabling businesses to operate securely, efficiently, and resiliently against evolving cyber threats.
